Baby Lauren

The Casey family had an amazing opportunity over my Christmas break!  About a week or so before break, our social worker from Bethany Christian Services called and said she had a strange request.  She told me there was a birthmom in Springfield with a three week old baby and she was working with Bethany to make an adoption plan.  It was going to take a couple of weeks and they were in need of an interim home.  The normal Illinois family they use would be gone for the holidays.  We still have a current license so she wanted to know if we would be interested in having her.  After talking with Tim and praying, we said yes!  Cam's adoption story included a wonderful interim home and we always wanted to give back in this way if possible.  Although Satan was trying to tell me some of the downsides of a newborn during my break, we knew God's voice was louder and we were excited to give back to the agency, help out a birthmom, and love on a baby girl for however long was needed.

Baby Lauren arrived the Wednesday I got out of school.  From the get go, she was an amazing baby and oh so cute!  Everyone fell in love with her from the very first moment we had her, especially the kids!  I have some amazing (and crazy) stories of Hannah and Cameron interacting with Lauren.  They were both great big siblings throughout the whole week.  

"All" of our kids before church.  Hannah and Cameron were in LOVE!

The Casey Family (with baby Lauren)  - Christmas Eve 2012

The Casey Kids - Christmas Eve - Nonnie and Poppy's House

 It was very fun to have Lauren over Christmas.  We spent one of her first holidays with her and we all took turns spoiling her with Christmas jammies, outfits, and little gifts.  Even Santa realized we would have her on Christmas morning and brought her a snuggly blanket with a matching lovey and a Christmas story book.  Isn't she a doll!?!?

 Both sides of our extended family enjoyed loving on her as well! 

Right around Christmas, we were contacted by our social worker that the birthmom chose a family and there would be a match meeting at the end of the week.  We were contacted again after the meeting that it went really well and the mom would be making her final decision by the end of the day.  Right before I headed out for a girls night, we got a phone call that it was all going to go through.  At the time, the social worker informed us the family chosen was actually friends of ours who live about 30 minutes away who have been waiting for a baby for a few months!  What?!?!  That's right, friends of ours (that Tim met through FCA probably 4 years ago) were in the domestic program (we were one of their recommendation letters) waiting for a baby were chosen to get the baby we were taking care of for the last week or so.  On top of that, they joined us last spring for the Bethany Celebration Dinner along with my parents, grandparents and Tim's parents...all who had been loving on Lauren this whole time!  How awesome is our God!  We had the opportunity to join the social worker on a three way call to give them the good news.  It was an amazing phone call!  At this point, they were able to have visitation with baby Lauren and planned to come over the next day.  We couldn't wait!

The next day, Brad, Amanda and big brother Elijah came over to meet their soon-to-be daughter.  What a very special day!

He kind-of, sort-of loved her!  Oh my!  This was HIS baby!

Hannah loving on baby Lauren.

Such a beautiful baby!

There were still a couple of hurdles to jump, but after another couple of days, Brad, Amanda and Elijah took Lauren home with them.  Praise to our Father!  This was such an amazing opportunity for our family and I loved watching God work throughout the whole process.  Since these are friends of ours, we get updates of Lauren and plan on getting together in the future for play dates.  So blessed by Bethany Christian Services in so many ways.  The Casey family will forever remember our special Christmas vacation with Lauren!